Over the “coming weeks”, Amazon is beaming an over-the-air update to all Fire TV models that will see Alexa learn a few new tricks. Alongside all the new Alexa voice command features that will be available in the near future, the Amazon Fire TV is also gaining 4k YouTube content, so as long as the Fire TV is connected to a 4K TV, all of the 4K content that can be found on YouTube will be available for viewing through the device.
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For example, you can now launch apps by saying things like “Launch Hulu” or “Open Netflix”. After bringing the functionality to various properties, opening it to third-party hardware and letting developers get a crack at it, the Pacific-Northwestern retail giant is rolling out a bunch of new Alexa features for its set top box. The upgrade includes voice control for playing Amazon Video and Add-On Subscription services, launching apps, accessing local movie show times, searching local businesses and restaurants, and more. But if there’s one area where the Fire TV is relatively weak compared to the set-top competition, it’s in voice search. You’ll be able to ask Alexa questions like “What movies are playing nearby?” or “Where is Angry Birds playing?” to get a list of nearby theaters and showtimes.
Amazon’s Fire TV products already support Alexa voice search features if you use a voice-enabled remote control or the Fire TV app on your smartphone to control your TV box.
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If you love Kindle e-books then Alexa is here to help. So, you can tell Fire TV to read a book to you and Fire TV will read a book to you. But the addition of a display allows it to serve up much more information than the purely voice-based Echo ever could – it can pull up a web page, for instance, or play a video.
